Today's Passage - Matthew 21:42-46

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Matthew 21:42-46   Jesus said to them, "Haven't you ever read what the Scriptures say, " 'The stone the builders didn't accept has become the most important stone of all. The Lord has done it. It is wonderful in our eyes'? "So here is what I tell you. The kingdom of God will be taken away from you. It will be given to people who will produce its fruit. Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces. But the stone will crush anyone it falls on." The chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' stories. They knew he was talking about them. So they looked for a way to arrest him. But they were afraid of the crowd. The people believed that Jesus was a prophet.   Jesus said, "The stone the builders didn't accept has become the most important stone of all." It means that God will do the work of building in our lives. For a house is to be stable, it needs to have a good foundation. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told us that there were two kinds of buildings: one that was built on top of sand, and the other that was built on top of rocks. When rain comes down, water rises, and wind blows on the house, the one built on the sand will collapse, while the one built on the rock will not. Jesus Christ is the most important stone in our life. The most important stone represents the foundation. The Lord is not only the source of life, He is also the reason our lives are stable and do not waver. Where do you build your foundation of belief? If it is built upon our connections, or upon our circumstances, or even upon pastors, then when our connections change, or circumstances change, or when pastors are down, then your belief will collapse. If you build the foundation of life upon Jesus, then there is nothing in the world that will disappoint you, weaken you, or make you go back and fall.   What's the purpose of building lives for Christians? Verse 43 says that it is so that we will produce fruit. Moreover, produce the fruit that will transform our lives. When you come to God, it is not important how you are currently, but what you will be after God transforms you into. Similarly, remember that when you meet brothers and sisters, it is not important how they are now, but how God will transform them into.  God wants to build up our lives so that we'd take on the image of Jesus Christ more and more.  Peter's name was Simon; when he started following the Lord, the Lord said, "Simon, your name will be called Peter.", i.e. the rock. Peter of the Gospels, when he started following the Lord, his temperament were not stable, not like Peter the rock at all. But the Peter you see in Peter 1 and 2, is a truly spiritually mature, and stable rock.   May God help us to gladly allow God to change us in our lives. No matter how many successes or failures we had in the past, we completely hand them over to God, so that He can work in our lives and make us reflect his glorious beauty.     Pray with Pastor Tong     Lord, we thank you because you continually perform the work of building in our lives. You are also the most important stone of a house in building our lives. When lives are built upon your body, they are stable and unshakable. May your Spirit strengthen our confidence and help us to rely upon you to have victorious lives.  I thank you and I pray in the glorious name of Jesus, amen!